Improvement in machines for dressing lawns



R. L. HAWES, OF WORCESTER, MASS., ASSIGNOR 'IO ROBERT RENNIE.

IMPROVEMENT IN WIvIAcI-IINES FoP. DRESSING I AWNS.

Speitication forminglpart of Letter Patent No. [2,7 7 l dated April 24, 1855.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, R. L. HAWES, of Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State ot' Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Machine for the Purpose of Dressing and Finishing Lawns, of which the followingv is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this speeication, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of my machine; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, an end view, and Fig. 4, details which will be referred to hereinafter.

The goods generally known as lawns7 require a peculiar iiexibility of texture, which is imparted to them during the finishing process by stretching or straining them diagonally in opposite directions, so that the weft and warp threads are caused to cross eachother at acute angles, first on one side, then upon the other of the perpendicular, by which operation, which is performed after the starch has been applied, and while the goods are being dried, the weft and warp threads are prevented from being so rigidly starched together as would otherwise be the case, and the fabric acquires the peculiar finish and texture required.

Io accomplish this end and to perform the operation expeditiously and eii'ectivcly is the object of my present invention, which consists of a peculiarly-contrived machine, in which, while the goods are being drawn over the surface of a heated cylinder, the selvages, in lieu ot' being moved simultaneously, asin ordinary iinishingmachines, are caused to advance and remain at rest alternately, each one remaining Inotionless while the other moves on, by which means, while the goods are rapidly dried and the selva-ges being `led along alternately, onel remaining stationary while the other is in mo tion:

D are metallic hoops or rings, which surround the dryingeylinder. These hoops carry the teeth x, upon which the fabric is stretched, andare made adjustable to a greater or less distance from each other, in the following mau- Der:

E E are circular metallic disks, which are allowed to revolve upon the hollow bearings C. at are spokes projecting from these disks, and carryingvthe screwed arms b, which are caused to project more or less in toward the cylinder by the nuts c, by which they are also secured in position. These arms b are secured at their inner ends to the hoops D, which are adjusted in position by means of the nuts to suit the different widths of cloth to beoperated upon.

To the disks E E and the hoops connected with them an alternate intermittent rotary motion is communicated in the following manj ,from the radial arms H H, which vibrate freely upon the hollow bearings G.

g are pawls upon the end of the arms H H', which operate' uponthe inclined teeth h2, projectin g fromrthe face of the disks E E. When the arm H moves in the direction of the arrow, Fi g. 2, the pawl g, striking upon one of the teeth h, carries the disk E and hoop D a certain distance. When the arm H moves in the opposite direction,the pawl g slips over the teeth h, and no motion is communicated to the hoop D. As the throw of the cams G G' is one hundred degrees apart, it is evident that while one ot' the hoops D is advancing the other will remain stationary. The selvages are thus moved alternately, and it is evident that there must be a corresponding alternate take-up motion to deliver the fabric from the machine. This is effected in the following manner:

I is a roll formed of sections t', which are a1- lowed to revolve independent of each other. Over this roll the fabric passes out of' the man chine. I

K is a stationary shaft, on which revolve two roller k k. e

l l are sleeves, which, together with the pulleys m m', also revolve upon the shaft K. A rotary motion back and forth is communicated to the sleeve l in the following` manner:

p is a cord attached at one end to the vibrating arm H and at the other to the spring q. rlhis cord passes once or more round the pulley m upon the sleeve I, and thus as the arm H vibrates the sleeve is rotated back and forth by the cord p, which passes round its pulley. From this back and forth motion ofthe sleeve an intermittent rotarymotion is communicated to the roller 7c in the following manner:

o is a tooth, Fig. 4, upon the end of the sleeve l, which engages with the spring-pawl n upon the end ofthe roller 7c when the sleeve revolves in one direction, and the roller 7c is caused to rotate with the sleeve. Vhen the latter revolves in the opposite direction the roller k remains stationary, the toothopassing freely round without engaging with the pawl. One of the selvages of the fabric, as it leaves the machine, passes between the roller lc and one of the sections i of the roll l, Fig. 2, and as the roller 7c revolves intermittently the selvage is alternately drawn off and suffered to remain at rest. Upon the other side of the machine there is a correspondingr apparatus, p q m l It', for the purpose of operating upon the other selvage, and the parts are so adjusted that when the hoop carrying one selvage is in motion that selvage is at the same time being drawn off the machine by the apparatus just described. rFhe fabric is stretched and tentercd upon the hoops D in the following manner:

L L are adjustable slides, which carry the inclined pinwheels M lll. rFhese wheels are allowed to revolve freely upon their pivots 1. The pins y, which project radially from their periphery, are secured firmly thereto in any suitable manner:

Operation: The goods enter the machine over the bar P, the selvages being put upon the pins y of the wheels M M at a point, s,where these points approach nearest to each other. As the wheels M M revolve, the points continually recede from each other, (as will be apparent from an inspection of Figs. l and 3) until they interlock with those upon the hoops D, to which the fabric is transferred, as seen at t, Fig. 1, the brushes N N pressing it down, as before mentioned. The hoops D are now caused to make one-ei ghth of a revolution, more or less, alternately, by which means the diag onal Working' of the threads upon each other before spoken of is attained, and the rigid adhesion ot' the warp and weft threads with each other is broken, which gives to the material that pliancy peculiar to fabrics of this description.

Cylinders of felt have been made use of for the purpose of pressin g the fabric down upon the teeth of the hoops D. These are very soon destroyed,and are liable to other objections, which it is the object ofthe brushes above rcferred to to remove.

I do not claim linishing lawns by causing the selvages to advance alternately as the goods pass through the dressing-machine, as this is done upon the machine described in Newtons London Journal, cojoined series, volume 32, page 77; but

WhatI do claim as my invention, and desii e to secure by Letters Patent, is-` 1. The stationary heating-cylinder, in combination with the hoops D, having an alternate intermittent revolving lnotion, in the manner described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The sectional roll I, in combination with the rollers 7a k', operating substantially as de scribed, for thepurposc ofdrawin g the selvages alternately from the machine, as set forth.

n. L. nawns. [n sj lnpresence of T. W. HAMMOND, L. W. HAMMOND. 

